Response to BMC accolades

PITTSFIELD – Responses to the announcement of Berkshire Medical Center being named to the top five percent of hospitals (as reported in the Feb. 14 Berkshire Beacon) have been mixed.

David A. Siegel, MD, who serves as the physician for the City of Pittsfield, indicated the study determining that ranking, conducted by HealthGrades, was not entirely accurate. He said the study did not go in depth enough and only focused on clients of HealthGrades.

In response to Dr. Siegel’s statement, BMC Chief Quality Officer A. Gray Ellrodt, MD, and HealthGrades Accelerated Clinical Excellence Vice President Arshad K. Rahim, MD, both released statements of their own to the press.

Dr. Ellrodt pointed to the fact that, in addition to HealthGrades, CareChex, another ratings organization, ranked BMC in the top five percent for overall hospital care and overall medical care. He also added that the Leapfrog Group scored the hospital with an “A” rating in patient safety and the Joint Commission designated BMC as a “Top Performer” hospital in 2013.

“I am justifiably proud of the many accomplishments of our team of committed professionals,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rahim spoke to the credibility of HealthGrades.

“Our methodology for our ratings and wards are publicly available and completely transparent,” he said. “All hospitals are rated – they can’t opt in or out.”

He went on to say, “Hospitals that achieve awards do so based on their performance. The math is the sole arbiter of the ratings and award information.”

Posted by Catherine M. Krummey on February 21, 2013. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry